plannery



(No Model.) I 2 Sheets-Sheet 1. J.P.LAN NERY.

HYDROUARBONGAS GENERATOR. No. 294,602. Patented Mar. 4 1884.

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NQIVTED ST TES JOSEPHFLANNERY, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

HYDROCARBON-GAS GENERATOR.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 294,602, dated March 4:, 1884.

Application filed March 20, 1833. (No model.)

[To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, J OSEPH FLANNERY, of Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Hydrocarbon-Gas Generators; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use it, reference being hadto, the accompanying drawings, which form part of this specification.

' My invention relates to an improvement in gasgenerators; and it consists, first, in the combination of a series of gas retorts or generators, a pipe leading therefrom and con-' necting with the base on the generating-chamber, a steam-jet nozzle, which is placed in the pipe for exhausting the gas from the retorts between the two chambers, and suitable re torts, which are passed through the regenerative chamber and connected with the generator-chamber; third, in the combination of the generator and regenerative chambers, located side by side, and connected together, the gas generators or retorts, a pipe connected with the retort-s and the chambers, a steam-jet nozzle connected with the pipe, for exhausting steam from the retorts; and by-pass valves,

whereby the gas directly from the retorts may be forced into either of the chambers; fourth, in the combination of the retort or chamber with the jacket and the filling of lead or other metal between the jacket and the retort.

One of the main objects of this invention is to dispense with the steam-boiler for the Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal section; Fig.v 2 is a vertical section taken through the regenerating-chambers at right angles to Fig.

1. Fig. 3 is a plan view of my invention complete.

For the sake of compactness, two sets of my chambers are built in the ,same casing, as

shown in Fig. 3. Each set will be operated independently of the other; but they may be connected, if so desired. In each set there will be two generator-chambers, A, and two regenerative chambers, B, which are connect edtogether by a pipe or other connection, through which the gases generated in the chambers Awill pass into the chambers 13.

In each of the generator-chambers will be made a fire, as fully described in my former patents, and'each one of these chambers will be connected with a bench or series of benches of retorts in which coal or other gas will be made in the usual manner. The pipes leading from these retorts will be connected to one or both of the generatorchambers A,

and these pipes will be provided with bypass valves, by means of which the gas from the retorts may be turned into either the generagas are lost in one generator-chamber the gas and steam may be by-pas'sed into the other.

In the connecting pipes G, between the chambers A B, will be placed the exhaustingjets H, which will operate in themanner fully described in an application filed by me, and bearing even date herewith. of the regenerative chamberswill be built a fire of graphite or other carbonaceous mate- In the bottom 7 rial, through which the gas and steam is passed. This fire is made in the bottom of this regenerative chamber, in place of in the bottom of the third chamber, D, as is fully shown and described in the patent granted to me February 8, 1881, and No. 237 ,663, and the advantages gained by this lire are fully enumerated in the said patent. 3y making this fire in this regenerative chamber I gain all of the advantages set forth in that patent, with the additional advantages that I am enabled to dispense with one or more chambers, and that I am enabled to make this regenerative chamber larger and use a greater amount of heat-absorbing material, and hence store up a greater quantity of heat, which will be utilized, as more fully described hereinafter.

In order to utilize theheat which is passing through this chamber 1; more quickly, I inclose the retorts I, through which oil and steam are passed, as fully described in my former patents, in inclosing-jackets J, and fill the intervening space between the jackets and the retorts with lead, or any other metal or amalgam of metals having a low specific heat. Outside of this inelosing-jacket will be placed fire-brick or other similar material, for the purpose of protecting this inclosing-jaeket. This lead absorbs the heat and parts with it readily and quickly, and hence enables me to vaporize the oil or the water more quickly than can be done where the retorts alone are used. In order to enable the lead and the bricks or the fire-clay which encircle the jacket to part with the heat, I pass through the bricks or the fireclay and through the filling of lead suitable metallic rods which are good conductors of heat. The inner ends of these rods will bear against the retorts or the jackets, and thus convey the heat from the surrounding port-ions of lead or fire-brick to the retorts much more rapidly than can be done where no such conductors are used. The fire-clay or fire-brick absorbs the heat slowly, but holds it with great tenacity, and these rods absorb and convey away the heat with great rapidity. Instead of retorts such as are shown in my former patents being used, I may take a series of pipes, which are run back and forth through the inclosing-body of lead, and they will then act in the same manner as the retort itself. I do not limit myself either to the retort or a series of pipes, for either one can be used at the will of the operator.

Heretofore in the manufacture of gas a steam-engine has always been required to run the blower, and hence skilled labor is required to run the engine and attend to the boiler. As the consumption of coal by the boiler is very great, it is a matter of the utmost importanee, and especially where small plants are used, that the boiler and steam-engine should be gotten rid of. For this purpose I place a steam-vessel or evaporator, L, in the casing, or inside of the ehamberIl, into which the water will ilow by gravity, and in which generator, boiler, or vessel the water will be converted partially into steam before it is introduced into the retort. In the same manner additional retorts or generators, M, are placed in the top of the chamber, and into which the oil will first run before passing into the oil-decomposing retorts. The waste heat will be utilized in gradually reducing the oil to a vapor and a fixed gas, and gradually bring it to a state of destructive distillation, thus increasing its illunn'hating-power. These additional steam and oil chambers, in which the oil and steam are first vaporized, will also be jacketed in lead or other metal, as above described, and for the same purpose.

Instead of using a steam-boiler to run the engine, I propose to use a gas-engine for the purpose of running the blower, and as no skilled labor is necessary to run one of these engines the cost of skilled labor in the production of gas is greatly decreased.

Instead of losing the steam which has been used to exhaust the from the retorts, as has heretofore been done, the steam and the gas are conducted directly into the bottom of the gcnerator-chambers, and passed up through the fire for the purpose of removing the deleterious compounds existing in the gas. In the passage of the gas and the steam through the fire in the generative chamber, the steam is decomposed into its elements, and the tarry vapors brought over in the gas are converted into a fixed gas, and the particles of solid carbon are absorbed by the excess of oxygen from the steam and are converted into carbonic oxide. The gas taken directly from the retorts or generators and intimately comminglcd with steam which has already performed the useful function of having exhausted the gas from the retorts or generators, and then passed through a fire in the bottom of the generator-chambers, and the heated refractory material beyond in the regenerative chamber, is not only robbed of its deleterious compounds, but has them converted into valuable illuminating and combustible qualities. By this treatment of the gas its purification, after leaving the regenerative chamber, is reduced to the lowest possible cost.

I am aware that jets of steam have been used in gas-retorts for the purpose of exhausting gas from one retort to another, and for the purpose of forcing the gas in any desired direction, and this I disclaim. By my invention gas is not only exhausted from the generators, but new qualities are added to the gas, which is then forced through the fire in the generating-chamber for the purpose of fixing the gas.

Having thus described my invention, I claim 1. The combination of a series of gas retorts or generators, a pipe leading therefrom and connecting with the base of the generating-chamber, a steam-jet nozzle, which is placed in the pipe for the purpose of exhausting the gas from the retorts or generators, and the generatorchamber in which fire is made, and up through which fire the commingled steam and gasis made to pass for the purpose of fixing the gas, substantially as shown.

2. The combination of the generator-chamber A and-regenerative chamber-B, both chambers having a--fire maderin them, and through both of which fires the gas is made to pass, a passage-way between the two chambers, and suitable retorts which are passed through the chamber 13 and connected with the chamber A, substantially as described.

3. The combination of the chambers A B,

' located side by side and connected together,

torts, and the by-pass Valves a, whereby the the gas generators or retorts, the pipe G, connected both with the retorts and the cham-.

bers, a steam-jet nozzle connected with the pipe for exhausting the steam fromthe regas directly from the retorts may be forced 15 into either the chamber A or B, substantially JosEPH ELANNEEY.

my signature in Witnesses: V

Y J. W. GARNER, -1

GEORGE B. R AD. v 

